


Steam

by KelseyCat26



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang and the gang, Badass Katara (Avatar), Betrayal, Bloodbending (Avatar), Communication, Cussing, Dark Past, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flirting, Friendship, Minor Violence, One-sided Aang/Katara (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Redemption, Slow Burn, Toph Being Awesome, Trust Issues, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, sparing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:47:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26075140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KelseyCat26/pseuds/KelseyCat26
Summary: In the large Earth Kingdom Ba Sing Se, the gang searches tirelessly for kidnapped Appa in order to continue the search to a firebending teacher for Aang. So he can save the world when the comet arrives in one year. All the stress of the world on the gang's shoulders from the journey, the worry, and being hunted. It seems like a simple search, but Ba Sing Se is a huge city, more or less. But there are shadows at work in Ba Sing Se that are too suspicious to ignore, and Katara cannot help but to be looking over her shoulders so they don't disappear in the dark underground.Prince Zuko.....Just Zuko now, thank you, is actually happy while living simply with his Uncle, which is a small minor miracle. Despite having to deal with the Tsungi horn-like snoring during night, smelling like tea in the shop, and dealing with girls his Uncle pushes his way, it seems like he could have a life here. Until a familiar face crosses his path and stirs up old goals and dreams. Zuko cannot decide between simple happiness or the honor and a father's love he has craved for years.In an unlikely moment, decisions can change the course of the two lives, and ultimately the world.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 64





	1. In the Search

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: It has been years since I had a last written a fanfic. So I may be rusty. All of this will be unbeta and all mistakes are mine. I don't own Avatar, but grew up with it. Then Netflix happened and here I am. In this fic, all characters are aged up by two years from the oldest age when Avatar ended. But why? Writing underage is yucky, I've never done it and will not ever. So, everyone is aged: Katara 18, Aang 14, Zuko 20, Sokka 19. Additionally, in this fic, Sozin comet is a year away instead of months.

Chapter 1: In the Search

It has been thirty-three days since they made it to Ba Sing Se in search for Appa from when the sky bison was taken and sold by the sandbenders. After Aang had calmed from the avatar mode, scaring the sandbenders into confession, they have been in search since. 

Thirty-three days and no progress whatsoever. Katara sighed yet again as another person took a flyer from her hand to wipe the sweat off their bodies. Yes, it was hot. Her hair stuck to the back of her neck. She could feel the heat gathering in the high collar of her Earth Kingdom dress and slithering down her spine. She could feel her wraps underneath growing damp with sweat. But still, she would not use some flyer wipe off. Rude. Then Katara watched the flyer slowly drift through the breeze to land on the ground, unread and disregarded. 

She shifted her position and seeking out to hand more flyers out to fight the little guilt that was growing from the one wasted. Every day, they put in request to talk to the King about the ten-ton missing sky bison. Again, no progress there either. Only reminded by an overwhelming bright grin, and a chipper voice that the King has a three month wait. Enjoy your stay!

What to do in the three months wait then? 

Answer: Continue the search on their own, against Earth Kingdom’s wishes. 

As Sokka had said, ‘They can’t say no to the Avatar’ and this place was ‘weird and very happy’. Although, the Earth Kingdom has tried their best to dissuade their search with tours, plays, parties, even the library. Finding distractions was the politically nicer way of saying no, of keeping the ‘kids’ fighting in a war at bay. No wonder everyone in Ba Sing Se thought there was no war, there were so many chipper smiles and bright distractions, and so much ‘happy’. It reminded Katara of the time in the desert, when Sokka was a mixture of drunk and high from the cactus juice. The happy had worked for the first day before they got annoyed. Perhaps they were not used to constant relaxing. Either way, around all the distractions, they have been managing… 

Every day with the rising sun, the gang splits up to pass out flyers. Sokka stating that he should take the lower tier because of ‘reasons’ and despite Sokka not verbally saying it out loud. It was sexist, from the way Sokka would not dare meet her eyes until he ran out the door. Katara knew, she knew, and water whipped him anyways.Then took a little pleasure in his small undignified yelp. Aang for the sky, Toph doing whatever Toph will do. Then leaving Katara on her safe, happy usual street to be ignored by the upper class. Sokka and his overbearing brotherliness. Katara had rolled her eyes, but went to the street with the flyers. Hence, her current treatment by these nice people, and on her safe little street. Now, the flyer was being trampled, forgotten. Katara had been hopeful in the beginning, now….it seemed like a waste of paper. Aang and in his contagious optimism was sure that the flyers would work. After all, who would miss a flying bison in the sky? In the distance, she could see paper, raining from the sky. 

Day one? Sure, everyone was optimistic…

Before settling on flyers, they brainstormed…meaning Sokka and Aang talking about taking shifts to sky hunt. Or otherwise sit on your ass all day and stare at the damn sun. Toph had quickly volunteered to watch all day, even offering to watch at night. 

Sokka was thrilled! 

Until he remembered…that Toph is blind…and she was laughing hysterically. Holding her gut, rolling on the ground, in the air chortling. And…occasionally…every night… Toph still chuckles about it. Leaving Sokka to grumble about his ‘oversight’. Leaving Katara pat her brother’s shoulder in sympathy. Katara flinched to the tug on her drape sleeve. She looked down and fought not to cringe when a small child used her shirt to wipe off boogers. Too late to stop the impact. 

No offense to Aang but day thirty-three was proving to be as productive as day one. And Katara was all out of optimism and needed a different place to pass out flyers. Or different approach. If Katara did not cross paths with Sokka, she was going to the lower tier. It was larger, with more people, and hopefully a little more kindness. And what Sokka does not know, will not hurt him. Besides, there was no shortage of water for her to bend. What was there to worry about?  
Katara abandoned her post and weaved through people to get the train. According to the sun, it was high noon. If she got over there now, she could have several hours to pass out flyers and perhaps make a difference in day thirty-three. There is that fucking optimism again.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************* 

The train delivered her fast to the lower tier. The train car a bit fuller from last time. There was the low mumbling of conversations, occasional child crying, and a mother soothing and shushing. Katara felt the painful twinge in her chest that she still carries, and probably will carry for the rest of her life. Her fingers traced over the flower clip on her neckline, she could feel the ridge of her mother’s necklace underneath. The painful heartbeat was swallowed down, pushed under the mission that she carried on her shoulders. Helping Aang, finding Appa, taking care of everyone, collecting rations, evading capture, avoiding the fire nation, blending in, and all the small little tasks that she happens to get stuck with…like mending socks. 

She sighed, down casted now by her own thoughts, and brushed her thick brown tresses over her shoulder. So much pressure can cause a fissure, a crack, a geyser, maybe this time she would find something other than a fourteen-year-old avatar in an iceberg. Not that she regretted it. Finding Aang brought a higher purpose to her life, made her realize the world needed to change, and the only way was to restore balance with Aang. Although finding that balance or maybe a solution to all the stress, fatigue, and worry that she was feeling at least... 

But life is messy and rarely that simple. 

She looked out the window to get away from her own head, she could see the clear difference of building structures. The higher tier was bold, tall, architecturally gorgeous to represent the green tones of the Earth kingdom. Meanwhile, the lower tier was full of short houses, metal scrapes hodge-podge together in small shacks. 

The train stopped, and Katara walked back into the heat. The one perspective she was correct about the lower tier is the amount of people. The population through the streets was twice as many and cluttered together as refugees and citizens alike. The noise polluted her ears from the loud conversations, street merchants, and children playing in the dirt streets. Different colors blended like a hearty vegetable stew. Katara breathed in the air, taking in the mixture of scents that make her mouth water and tingle. There was a breath of life, of living, renew energy flowing through the lower tier like the chi in the body. 

Katara continued to walk down the dusty street while giving out flyers to passersby. After a few dozen passes, Katara was out of flyers. Then she just walked with empty hands. Around her, the giggles and population of young teenage girls increased. In seconds, it seemed like Katara was engulfed into a line, outside a tea shop. The Jasmine Dragon read from the overhead on the sign. For the lower tier, the tea shop seemed to gather attention and through the gossip from the gaggles, Katara concluded there was a handsome server in the shop. 

While having tea sounded delightful, she could not comprehend the obsession involving handsome men that the Earth Kingdom girls had. Waiting in line to bat their eyes at a boy seemed like a waste of time and effort. Especially when there are more important things at work. Katara held her tongue, fighting the urge to screaming about the war outside the walls; paper started to rain from the sky as Katara was pushing inside with the crowd. Over her shoulder, there was a flash of Aang’s vision of Appa. Aang must just have been overhead.

Inside the tea shop…The Jasmine Dragon…was small, quaint, and homey. Small wooden tables had crowds of six or more. Earth Kingdom green decorated around the four walls in small hanging. It smelled like a plethora of teas, and the flowers, herbs, roots that it takes to blend and create. Katara could even smell and sense the steam in the air. It tickled at her fingertips, entering her soul, drumming at her heart, almost urging her body to bend, play, connect with her element. 

The crowd of young girls quickly separated from Katara to seeking out an empty table, parting the vision of the front counter. 

Her heart stopped.

Then froze. 

Katara stood in the middle of the shop, staring at the young man that the young girls were fawning over. She knew that dark hair. It was longer, wild, and lightly covering the reddened scar. The shadows of the dark hair haunted in her dreams. Hands that threw dangerous fireballs intending to kill them, kill Aang were holding a tea pot, serving tea to innocent people. Katara had dreamed about the heat, the nightmares….

Dreamed of her mother, and the fire nation that stole her away.

Involuntarily, Katara’s hand twitched angrily at her side. 

She felt the connection of the heated water across the distance, then waved her hand. She was satisfied when the teapot shattered, the exiled prince hissed at the pain. Katara instantly recognized the larger man tending to the burn, while he had a small grin on his face. The grin was soft, unlike the harsh lines, furrowed brow, and full mouth set in a grimaced frown that haunted them. 

While his pain from the burn pleased her, she wanted more. The darker part of her, did not know what exactly what she wanted. She ignored it. Katara moved to touch the necklace again. The object in which grounded her to grow up, implored her to take care of her responsibilities, to become who she was now. It was unfair, unjust, that he got to be happy; she watched the interaction with jealousy. 

But what could she do? Waterbend in the middle of tea shop, attract his eyes back their way, get hunted again? Kill him to prevent it? Katara immediately disregarded that notation, she would not be like them. Not like the fire nation. 

Her body drummed to do more, bend the steam around her…. twist it, sharpened it…. then what? She had to think and plan. But now she knew he was here, and he was not going to get away. Katara turned around and left the shop quickly behind.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************* 

Happiness and contentment carried through his shoulders, weighing less on his body. He was Lee. It was a simple life these past few weeks, and the only dangers are the girls batted their eyelashes his way. That attention made uneasy, awkward, and caused his Uncle to throw his head back in laughter after closing the shop. Then delivering some wisdom in relating to wooing women. It was then that Zuko would tune out his Uncle with a heated blush. He was just happy to have this life, uncomplicated, simple, and free. 

His hand felt strong on the teapot as he waited on the group of girls competing for his attention. 

The tea pot slipped through his grip. 

Then shattered.

Through his Uncle’s lecture about his favorite teapot deadened remains on the floor, and the mild burn on his hand, he saw her from the corner of his eyes. There was no mistaking the signature blue eyes, and thicken brown waves, besides the out of color green dress, it was her. On her face crossed emotions that he could name easily. Jealousy. Anger. Hatred. 

Even the darkest emotion….kill. 

He had seen that look on his sister’s face often enough to quickly recognize it. 

Seeing her, meant the avatar should be close, she would never leave the young boy alone, despite being a powerful bender of all the elements. Zuko excused himself from his Uncle on the promise of properly bandaging the wound. He crossed the shop in several large strides and was greeted with the beaming sunlight. The heat absorbed into his skin, enlightening into the warmth of his heart. Zuko inhaled deeply, breathing in the torching heat of daylight. He glanced both directions of the busy dirt road and saw nothing resembling her. A recognizable shape caught his eye from the ground. Zuko picked up the picture. The sky bison was missing, it was his opportunity

The tea pot did not slip from his fingers.

It was her.

The sky bison was missing.

He could find them. 

Restore his honor.

And finally go home.  
***************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Unknowingly, two figures, hidden in the shadows watched. 

Then disappeared.


	2. Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All mistakes are mine. It's unbeta-ed, and I don't own Avatar. I'm going to try my best to update every day. Maybe if I get this story out, it will finally leave me alone.

Steam  
Chapter 2: Lost and Found

Zuko slammed his hands on the table in anger! Frustration pounded through his entire being! This was the way! Their chance to return home! The vibrations from his outburst rattled the stack of dirty cups waiting to be cleaned for opening tomorrow. When he had picked up the flyer, after spotting her. All the answers he ever wanted was in the palm of his hand! 

The flyer crumpled underneath his newly made fist…the paper started to smoke from his rage-fueled firebending. Zuko slammed his hand down again. He put out the starting embers with his uninjured hand and left a scorch mark in the table. A scar on the olden wooden. And his Uncle just hummed, sitting across from him without a word, and happily drink his tea with zero worries in the world. But when the teacup was lowered from his Uncle’s face, it was a facial expression that Zuko knew what it meant…. but he did not want to hear it!

Before giving his Uncle a chance to spout enlightened nonsense, Zuko objected. “This is the way I can capture the avatar,” he nodded back at the slight singed black and white flyer. “I can find the sky bison, using the creature for a trap. When the avatar is in my hands, I can restore my honor and return home! Why don’t you want that for me?!”

His shout bounced around the four walls of the closed and empty shop. The angry words disappeared when his Uncle sighed. Again…another sound that Zuko was all too familiar with. It made him want to tear his hair out!

His hands flew into his hair and growled aloud. Good enough. But he returned to stare down his Uncle, trying to read something in the depths. His Uncle placed down his teacup with a delicate click. 

“Nephew, this life here, are you happy?” 

Damn it, of course he was happy! 

No pressure, no hunt, no expectations, no rules….no avatar. 

Like everything, there are endings. 

Zuko knew that he had to do this. His happiness compared to this simple life would increase tenfold when his father finally welcomed him back. His scar would not be a reminder of his past crimes whenever he looked in the mirror. Everything would change back to normal, before he was banished. The one solution was the creature that he could use for a trap! And his Uncle, his wise, lazy Uncle…just could not seem to understand why his honor was so fucking important to him. 

And Zuko…he could not answer his Uncle’s question aloud. He turned away, then hung. His hands unfurled, rested on the table. Zuko stared at his feet. At the Earth kingdom garb that he wore to hide. Instead of wearing his Fire nation uniform with pride. Although….

Deep down, there was the fear, the wrongness of the conversation. The nagging voice asking why he would mess up something this good. His small pretend life, it was his, why would he break it? A voice that sounded so like his sister echoed that he deserved it. Much like everything else that he has suffered in his life. Someone as useless, weak, and cowardly deserved to suffer everyday for simply breathing. After all, his own father had said that he was lucky…to be born. 

Yet, those words never stung as badly as the reddened scar on his face. It did not cut as deep as waking up to an empty palace…without his mother…surrounded by monsters…the heat…

Zuko closed his eyes, he repressed his childhood memories down. Locked, and away. Safe. His Uncle broke the silence in the Jasmine Palace with the clearing of his throat before stating soundly.

“I know you. Change is a metaphoric process, day by day, Zuko, you are undergoing that process. Even if you do not see it yourself. If you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look of the dark that is all you can ever see.”

Exasperated, Zuko looked up at his Uncle. “I don’t know what that means!”

His Uncle picked up the teacup before him, and held the rim to his lips, “I cannot help you decide which path to take, Zuko. One’s life is their own journey, their choices reflections their learning.” Then his Uncle took a deep drink, echoing a satisfying hum throughout the small shop. 

Zuko straightened. He may not make sense of his Uncle’s ‘so-called’ wisdom. But he was so sure that this was the answer. He could see the turtle-duck pond. Feel the heated breeze. Visualize the deep blue sparkling sea around the islands. He could almost feel his father’s hand on his shoulder. Feel the pride of being the restored prince of the fire nation. He had to do this. Zuko turned on his heel…. headed for their apartment upstairs. 

It was time to seek out the spirit. 

Behind him, Zuko heard his Uncle sigh.

It was one of disappointment. 

Zuko squashed the sudden guilt, the wrongness away, deep down in his chest once more, adding into the more wounds in his chest. He needed to do this. It was his destiny. It was the only way.

****************************************************************************************

Katara flickered her eyes from each face around the table in disbelief. Her eyes narrowed at Sokka from his sheer stupidity as he devoured the meal that the chipper ‘happy’ Earth Kingdom had so kindly supplied. And Sokka was being dumber than usual…maybe there was something in the water... No, it was just him. And the way he gets with an endless supply of meat in buffet style meals.

“Nothing to worry about?” she echoed his earlier words, “I just said I saw Zuko in Ba Sing Se, and there’s nothing to worry about? Aren’t you being ambivalent about this?! We know that he is here! How long do you think that we have before he discovers us?”  
“We still need to find Appa,” chimed Aang. He stroked Momo’s ears as the winged lemur dug into the fruit spread upon the table. Aang hung his head down, “We can’t leave another place without him.” 

Katara felt for him. She did. All of them were worried about Appa. But there was the threat of Zuko, of war, of the end of the world.   
Katara sighed. “I know that we should stay to find Appa. I would not dream of giving up on Appa.” She earned a small smile from Aang and she continued, “But if Zuko finds us…”

“If…” Toph stated loftily, lounging backwards on her mountain of pillows, looking much like she had zero worries in the world. Her bare foot kicked in the air as she licked food from her fingers. “He hasn’t found us yet, Sugar Queen. So, there is nothing to worry about. After all, you said that he did not see you. Our cover isn’t blown.”

“We have no cover,” Katara interjected. “The Earth Kingdom knows who we are.”

“And you said that you saw Zuko in the lower tier…,” Sokka countered with his own version of squinty eyes. “We are in the highest tier..”

“Besides the palace,” added Toph.

Sokka nodded, “Besides the palace,” he corrected. “Do you know how many people he would have to get through to find us? Someone is bound to recognize him…he’s pretty hard to miss…you know with the….” Sokka gestured to his face. “Scar. We are safe.”

She opened her mouth to continue her point when Sokka cut in, “All in motion to ignore Zuko, say aye!”  
“  
Aye!” called Toph easily and unapologetically.

At least Aang had some decency to look guilty for blowing off her concerns. He would not meet her eyes. “Just a little bit longer to search for Appa, Katara. Once we meet with the king, I know that we will find him!”

Katara did not bother to counter that they would not see the Earth Kingdom king in three months. She just returned on her brother. “I assume that you side with ignoring Zuko, and the threat that he could find us?”

“We could use a break from all the threats in the world. If we worried about everything, then I would not be eating this…,” Sokka studied the meat for a millisecond before taking more from the bone, “because I would be worried about choking,” he continued, “Live a little, Katara, or you’ll be gray like Gran-Gran.”

“Gran-Gran is gray because she’s old!” 

Katara just could not with her brother anymore. She stood from the table and glared at Sokka for a minute before storming off. For the self-proclaimed genius, he was completely missing the point. Being safe was bullshit. Maybe they were safe for those second, safe for these thirty-three days that they have been in Ba Sing Se, but how long would safe last? 

They needed to find Appa to get out of this damn city. Aang had already looked on the verge of crying when she had lightly hinted that they should leave. There was no way that Aang was going to leave without the sky bison. And their searching methods have proved fruitless. 

Katara walked as far as the house let her. Then beyond, she was outside, under the moon. Feeling the pale light bathe over her skin. The cool breeze danced through the trees to caress over her. 

Someone had to do something. 

Toph was the muscle.

Sokka, the ‘so-called’ brains, 

Aang the avatar, 

and her, was everything else. 

She leaned on her arms perched on the railings. If only someone would just listen. Or she could make them listen. She shouldn’t. But she could.   
Katara looked over her shoulder. Maybe thinking that someone would follow her, calm her worries with some smart logical outlook. Or even someone who calls her out on her very terrible, yet productive idea. If she left now, she could be back in time for sunrise. 

With Zuko as their prisoner.


	3. Plans that We've Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I said I would update every day...my work week proved that was a lie. So no timestamp on updating. But all the kudos and comments have been great motivators. So thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know I did.

Steam  
Chapter 3: Plans that We've Made

Zuko suppressed a slight shiver as he changed into his dark black garb. The blue and white mask sat on his bedroll in front of him. There had been only a few times that he had worn it. All of which, compiled into his conflicting emotions. He saved the avatar…but for his own selfishness. He stole from other people…again for his own selfishness to survive. He dressed now, once again, to try to capture the avatar, by using the flying beast as bait. Again, selfishness. But his happiness, his life, everything that he wanted…depended on it.

He looked over his shoulder as another chill ran across from him. 

He found his Uncle staring at him with a frown and leading on the wooden door frame with arms folded across his chest. Zuko felt his selfishness slip away and felt the stab of disappointment once again. 

“What is it, Uncle?”

His Uncle opened his mouth, once, twice, before speaking, “The Blue Spirit…I wonder who it was…”

“You’ve known it was me for a long time.”

“Yes.”

Zuko could see it. Something burning in his Uncle’s eyes. There was a temptation to ask, but he had already made up his mind. This…was…his destiny. Zuko picked up his Dao Swords and strapped them to his back. He plucked up the mask from his bed and fixed on top of his head.  
“Prince Zuko,” started his Uncle, Zuko flinched at the formal title. “I support you, but this path, this plan, you don’t think these things through. Just like the North Pole. If it wasn’t for the avatar and his friends- “

Zuko cut in and growled, “I would have figured something out!”

“You would have died there! And what if you find the sky bison, is it going to live here with us?” His Uncle motioned to the tiny apartment around them. “You need to think about this!”

“It’s all I can think about! I must do this! This is my destiny!”

His Uncle Iroh just shook his head. Then sighed, “No, you do not.” The atmosphere was quiet, tense, and spirits above, Zuko could feel the anger of fire in the air. The stench of disappointment, it was smothering. His Uncle spoke again, “Before you leave, I need your help.”

From the tone of his Uncle’s voice, it sounded important. He wanted to help, wanted to please and make his Uncle happier than what his actions were going to make him feel. 

“Is everything okay?”

“Follow me,” answered his Uncle Iroh as he walked away.

Without hesitation, Zuko followed his Uncle downstairs and into the kitchen?

His Uncle wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve, “I simply cannot do the dishes alone. It would take an old man like me forever to get these washed and dried in time for bed. Then I’ll be tired all day tomorrow…”

Zuko looked between his Uncle, who roared ferocious like a dragon upstairs to now: playing the old man card, the large stack dishes, and the black garb he had on. Garb that he fought in….with his mask on his head…the weight of his swords on his back. “You want me to do the dishes?” he asked.

His Uncle beamed happily and patted Zuko on the shoulder. “Yes, before you leave on your mission. I can do with a nice cup of tea.”  
********************************************************  
Katara glanced over her shoulder again, attempted to look for a familiar face in the moonlight. Maybe, just maybe, someone would talk her out of it. It was a great idea. Going through with it would give them an advantage. It would be productive to capture Zuko. Hell, it would provide small revenge from being his prisoner herself, when she was tied to a tree and threatened, blackmailed, bribed to give up Aang’s whereabouts. 

She shifted again and made the wooden railing creak under the pressure. If she does capture Zuko, there would be the question of where to keep him. If she goes out now, captures him, what would she with him then? But if she did go, right now, under the bright moonlight. They would be safe. They would be one step ahead, compared to when they have been surprised with attack, and ended with too close of calls. She would be powerful under moonlights call. 

But when the sun rose….

If she did capture him, they could not have another showdown like they did in the North Pole. Where their elements met with steam and fury. During the shift in night and day, one would always be more than the other. In some way, a balance. A push and a pull in the world. Katara shook her head. Balance cannot exist in the world right now. The world needed to be fixed…and started the endless loop of protecting Aang until it happens.   
Which started with this first step. Capture and hold hostage: Prince Zuko. 

With determination pulsing through her veins, Katara whirled around, thoughts flew in her head. She was going to have to hurry, going to have to make an area to hide, and possibly hold someone else. Katara steeled herself to enter a house with the inhabitants who refuse to listen. Short of yelling, Katara could not make them listen. She could always do what Gran-Gran did to Sokka…. drag him by the ear and make him see common sense. Even if Katara did that, Sokka would hate this plan. For some reason, he always hates her plans. 

So, she would have to distract Sokka, then he would distract everyone else. Katara stepped forward to enter inside when Aang appeared in front of her with a gust of wind.

“Katara? Are you busy? Sokka said that he ran into Longshot and Smellerbee…”

Well…. Yes, she was going to be busy. She had to do this.

“And Jet.…” finished Aang. His shoulder brushed past her and rested on the railing where she had been moments ago. “They have a lead on Appa.”

Katara looked up at the moon. Then closed her eyes for a second. Aang’s gray eyes shimmered with hope! With a bright possibility that everything would be alright in the world, just for the moment.

The words of her plan, they were so close to the tip of her tongue. She wanted to say something about it, even if she had begging for someone to stop her. Aang, with all his childlike wonder, just possibility might talk her out of it. Because he needed her help with something. Aang needed her help for Appa. Appa was all of theirs, even if he belonged to Aang first. By going with her first plan…she could see the darkness evolving to a darker thought. She knew what she had to do. 

Her idea, capturing Zuko…it would have to wait. 

She shoved the idea away and turned back to Aang and joined him with leaning on the wooden railings. They were almost the same height. Aang’s shoulders were touching hers. She had to lengthen both Sokka and Aang’s clothing this past month. They both have grown since meeting for the first time in the South Pole. When she had tried on her Water Tribe garb, it had been tight across the chest as well. She had extended it outwards whenever both boys had been sleeping. She had poked her fingertips between the darkness of firelight and starlight. 

“Sokka told you this just now? Why did not say anything while I was in there?”

“He didn’t have a chance to, Katara.” 

Aang’s reply carried words unsaid, and implications under the tone. 

“So, he sent you.”

“I volunteered,” Aang corrected with a grin. 

His hand covered hers, she jumped surprise. 

Katara pulled her hand away lightly. “Tell me more about the lead on Appa.”

“Lake Lakogai,” interjected Sokka from behind them then he joined them under the moon. “They said that Jet let them to Lake Lakogai before having an ‘episode-’”   
Sokka moved his fingers in quotes. Then continued, “They think that he was tortured, but he was happy about it?”

“Like what kind of happy?” asked Aang.

“The scary kind of happy. The worst kind.”

A huff of laughter escaped her, “Who would have thought being happy would be so terrible?”

“Exactly Katara! These people are so happy, they have no idea what is going on!” exclaimed Sokka. He motioned to the stillness surrounding them. 

In the distance, Katara could hear music, could hear the evidence of life. But it was different. She had been surrounded by refugees trying to survive, slept on the hard ground, be imprisoned. By the sounds of this life that surrounded them, pain was just waiting to come. And if it did, there would not be anyone claiming there was not a war anymore. 

“When are we going?” she asked. 

“As soon as Toph finishes up her job”, answered Sokka. “She is supposed to be making us in our beds.”

Katara blinked, “You do realize that our doubles will most likely be made out of rocks, right?”

Sokka shrugged. “Meh. If everything all goes accordingly to the plan. Then we should be flying out of Ba Sing Se by sunlight on Appa’s back. Wherever we land next, we can have a giant party!”

“Then shouldn’t we be packing our stuff too?”

Sokka clapped his forehead and ran back into the house. He called over his shoulder with his voice high with panic. “Just hurry up! Only the essentials!”

For someone who had plans, sometimes her brother had his oversights. Katara turned back to Aang with a smile. “Let’s pack, then we can rescue Appa!”

Her hand brushed against something. Aang’s hand. “Sorry,” she murmured. Katara quickly entered the house. There was no way she was going to fight in a dress like the one she was wearing. 

Over her shoulder, Katara missed the frown on Aang’s face and his fist clenched at his sides.  
**********************************************************************

Zuko laid on the sandy hill surrounding Lake Lakogai. His blue and white mask rested on top of his head. He spotted four figures on the water’s edge. Water and Earth moved along with two other figures. In the moonlight, Zuko could see the arrow. Apparently…they had found the same information.

Doing the dishes and making his Uncle several cups of tea proved helpful towards his mission. His Uncle, while they both knew this mission disappointed him…a term very lightly used…found information of where the avatar’s sky bison was being held. 

If a large flying animal was not seen in the sky.

If a large flying animal was not seen on the ground. 

Then it was underground. 

From his Uncle’s rumor mill… or otherwise known to Zuko as playing Pai Sho for hours on in…he stated that the avatar was looking his sky bison in all the wrong places.

Looks like they were in both in the same places. This made Zuko’s plan easier. Either way, he would get what he wanted. Either way, the avatar would be in his hands tonight.

Four figures disappeared one by one, going into the open hole in the ground. Zuko slid his mask into place, touched his Dao Swords strapped onto his back. He counted in waiting. Then he slid down the sandy dune, ran across the sand. Blending his footprints onto the other foot imprints in the sand. 

His shoes lightly tapped over the hardened ground. 

Zuko looked down into the hole, greenish light radiated from below.

He took a breath. 

Then jumped in. 

A flash of his Uncle’s disappointed face, and sigh followed him. 

His Uncle’s words echoed in his head. The words that followed him out the door after Zuko had finished everything his Uncle wanted.

“It’s time to look inwards, and ask yourself, ‘Who are you?’ You are on this mission that someone thrust upon you. You need to ask yourself, ‘What do I want? Do you want this?”

Zuko had determination burning in the palms of his hands. He followed the light whispers that traveled in the air.   
The answer to his Uncle’s question…it would have to wait…. Or he would lose sight of everything. He could not afford to break, not when he was so close.

************************************************

There was not going to be a giant party.

Not everything went according to Sokka’s plan, not at all. 

They had gone to the lake as they planned. 

Katara had water bended.

Toph had earth bended. 

They all jumped into the ‘secret creepy base’ as dubbed by Sokka. 

They walked quietly down the tunnel. When someone’s foot had stepped on a switch….

Large rocks walls came soaring through the air. 

Katara watched as each one of her friends vanished from view. Or she vanished from them for seconds. Everything happened so fast. Faster than her waterbending could have stopped. 

Then she appeared alone. In perhaps a different hallway, the lights were darker, verging on almost black within the green. Katara walked slowly in this tunnel. There was something different. Creepier, and sinister, different from the first tunnel they had entered together. Now she was alone, and this place made her feel like she could disappear within the shadows and never been seen again. And she would be lucky to see the light of day again.   
In the darkness, her eyes tracked black movement. 

She followed. 

Her footfalls echoed with the dark shadow ahead. 

Her water pouch drummed on her hip. 

Her braid whipped with each pump of her legs to go faster.

She followed around every corner before different sounds covered her footfalls. Bellowing roars carried in the air. She knew those sounds.   
Appa. 

Rocks that size of her head flew past her. Katara reacted. Crackles of ice glittered under the dim lights.   
The mysterious person was an Earthbender, pinned to the wall with her waterbending and knocked out cold from the force of her attack. Next to unnamed man, there was a door. Appa’s bellows sounded like nothing she had heard from the sky bison before. It sounded like fear.

Katara whipped open the metal door with a bang. 

Her eyes jumped around the room. 

Fire in the corner, nearest to Appa’s third paw. The chains that rattled in panic as Appa attempted to get away from the growing flames. Two figures clashed blades in the middle of the room. 

One figure wore all black and a blue mask.

The other was…

“Jet?”


	4. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So...I hope you enjoy! I also want to remind that all characters are aged-up. I'll put another reminder whenever those kinds of scenes will happen. P.S. Not yet.

Steam  
Chapter 4: Gone

Jet’s name from her lips disappeared under another panicked roar from Appa. His clothes were different from when they last saw each other. It seemed like he had gotten taller. But there was no mistaking the brown spiky hair, and the two unique hook swords. But the expression on his face….

Smellerbee and Longshot had said they thought he was…

Tortured. 

The bright blinding smile on his face…reminding her of Sokka’s words…

Brainwashed.

“Jet!” she shouted. Hoping that maybe seeing a friend…

Memories of stolen kisses flashed through her mind. 

Maybe seeing her would help him.

With another clash of swords, whoever Jet was fighting was an even match. She took a step forward when Jet parried swords, then received a high kick to the gut from the masked figure. Jet recovered quickly. The flames expanded closer, also attempting to get a ride from Appa just as she had done some many times.

Katara shifted and guided water to put out the steadily growing flames. With a hiss, the dancing orange disappeared. She shifted again and returned the water to the pouch on her hip. She glanced over shoulder as Jet and the masked figure parry after parry in a flurry of sword dancing.

“I’m going to free Appa! Just hold on!”

Again, she did not know if Jet heard her or was even aware of anything outside of the battle. But first she had to free Appa. She gasped in surprise, in disgust, at the charcoal remains of the objects that were underneath. Through the blackened surface, was the fire mount, a large bowl that held the flames. Next to it, was a circular surface with a handle. She picked it up. 

Black soot rubbed across her hand; the metal was warm to touch. 

It took her a millisecond to recognize it.

A branding emblem.

They were going to brand Appa!

She whirled on Appa with worry burning throughout her soul. He looked defeated. Neglected. Broken. Around each ankle, chains rubbed around his fur. She could see the inflammation on the bare skin. It could grow into infection if she did not treat it soon. There was mud streaked within Appa’s white fur, turning him into a gray-brown color. Chucks of fur were flying in the air, drifting in the unknown breeze. The arrow on his head was matted into a third horn. At her distance, she inspected over the Appa’s mud covered sides looking for the brand that would break her heart. 

It would also break Aang’s.

There was nothing she could find. But would have to look beneath the fur… she would also have to treat the skin around the chains. And somehow remove the chains before she could heal him!

But upon her taking one step forward, Appa changed. 

Gone was the defeated Appa, and a roar of survival blasted in her ears and echoed deafly around her.

A gust of wind shot across the room from the snap of his tail. Jet and the blue masked figure jumped away from the blast. The gust of air crashed into the corner of the chamber. Four large stones fell from the ceiling. It shook the walls around them. A waterfall of water trickled in from the cracks. Another shockwave struck her as 

Jet took a heavy impact from the first stone, hitting him down into the floor by the shoulder. 

The second one landed on one of his legs.

He did not move for two seconds. 

When Jet’s head finally lifted, the creepy smile was gone from his face, but grimaced in pain. He was pushing himself up from the floor, nudging at the rock when the masked figure approached Jet.

“Katara! Help me!”

From her name, Katara rushed water from her pouch, and froze the masked figure’s feet onto the hard stone floor. 

**********************************************************************

Zuko was pissed. He hacked away the frozen trap around his feet. 

He had gotten trapped in…well…. the trap. Stone walls had swallowed up the hallway he was in. All he did was follow the noise and opened the door. 

He found…Jet?...the boy from the Earth kingdom ferry… with the circular brand glowing orange in hand, and the avatar’s sky bison flinching and thrashing in pure terror. His own memories stirred up. The scar on his face had throbbed in phantom pain. 

Automatically, Zuko threw one of his Dao swords, knocking the branding from Jet’s hands. The surprise attack made Jet crash into the fire mount. The flames scattered across the floor as Jet pulled out his hook swords. 

Zuko held him off in time to get his other sword in his hand.

Then she came in. 

Luckily, she had put out the fires, and the sky bison was still trapped for him to take it.

All he would have to do was free him, knock Jet out easily enough, fight the avatar’s girlfriend, then he could steal it. 

But then she helped Jet. Told him that she would help him after freeing the avatar’s sky bison.

If she knew the truth!

Jet was supposed to be on her side…wasn’t he? Wouldn’t branding the sky bison be opposite of that? Truthfully, Zuko did not care. That debate was their own issue to sort out. 

He had his mission. 

His destiny was only a hairbreadth away.

But he needed his feet free. 

The painful expression on Jet’s face disappeared and the smile bloomed across his features. It seemed the fleeting moment of humanity to call for help had left. Leaving vacant husk with a smile to kill him. And maybe everyone else. 

Shit.

Zuko was in trouble. He focused his firebending warmth to melt the ice from his trap as Jet got up from the ground. Then slowly limped towards him.   
He could kill Jet. He still had his swords, still had most of his mobility, and he was not injured. Judging from the way Jet moved towards him, it was like the other man was feeling zero pain. But only had a one-track mind for causing it. Zuko knew pain all to well. He has been known to cause it as well. 

And a voice in the back of his head whispered of his weakness, it carried familiarity of his sister’s.

Kill…

Zuko was a lot of things. He knew he wasn’t a good person. He had caused pain, brought pain, and carried it. But he would never…

The scar on his face throbbed again.

After all… having that weakness…was the reason he looked like he does in the mirror. 

Zuko rolled backwards in time to avoid the slash of double hook blades. As he defended, deflected, then attacked, Zuko watched as she tried to talk the animal down from the flight or fight. 

But she couldn’t see it. How the animal’s eyes focused on one person in the room. 

It wasn’t him.

It wasn’t her.

Although, Zuko was close enough that he would feel the attack.

He braced for it.  
***************************

She held her hands up, showing peace, understanding, rescue. “Appa, it’s me, Katara.”

Appa’s brown eyes glanced at her before turning away with a deafening roar. Another gust of air burst forth, crashing into Jet and the masked figure, sending both into the stone walls, then to splash into the floor. The impact jostled the walls.

The alarms sounded, loud and deafening along with the crashes of metal. The metal door slammed shut. 

The walls shook again.

Water erupted from the cracked ceiling, pouring in more and more from the lake above. 

She turned from Appa. Her eyes burned with salt as blood trickled from chain.

He was so scared.

And she wasn’t helping.

But she could help someone else.

She sloshed through ankle-deep water.

Katara reached both Jet and the masked figure. Jet was face down in the rushing water. Rocks fell from the ceiling nearby, showering Katara in the chilled wave. She fell to her knees then she flipped him over. She felt his heartbeat, strong, pulsing under her hand. 

That was good.

She looked over to the masked figure, who was up and had swords in hand. She countered, using waterbending to swirl her growing supply into ice icicles, all pointed at masked figure, surrounding in every which direction.

“Jet is my friend! Now you have to fight me!” 

She stared down the mask, trying to connect with the pair eyes underneath as she propped Jet upright against the wall. He groaned lightly. With this much water, this fight wouldn’t take long at all. 

Gently, slowly, almost to placate her, the figure pointed to Appa with one of the swords. 

The water was climbing and Appa was still chained to the floor.

Then the figure slashed his blade at the nearest icicle. It splashed onto the floor. 

She only stared. 

****************************************************************************

Zuko was close to yelling at her, identity be damned!

He could cut through the chains! 

Then the sky bison would be free, Jet was knocked out, and all he would have to was get her out of the way. 

He waved his sword away, slowly. While drowning wasn’t high on his ways to died, neither was being impaled by frozen water. With graceful movement, the icicles disappeared, splashing around him. 

Her blue eyes glowed at him, as if she were trying to understand his presence here. Zuko could easily answer that. If he did though, he would be a disadvantage if she attacked. Then going back, being impaled was not high on his list. She stood from the water and pulled at Jet to stand. 

“I don’t know who you are under that mask. I don’t know how you got here. I don’t even know if you’re my enemy. But if you can free Appa, I can help get us out of here.”

Everyone else in his life would probably had said something witty…

Something heroic…

Something sinister…depending who they were…

He did not…

Zuko shortly nodded, then slightly stumbled in the water. He caught himself with his swords. He didn’t dare look back to see if she had seen it.  
Water was going above his knee and growing as he moved forward. By the time he reached the sky bison, cold water hugged around his hips. Zuko looked over his shoulder and found her dragging Jet through the waves, albeit faster than what he had to do. 

It seemed the animal had gained back some sense because it held still when Zuko came down with his blade severed all three chains. She splashed next to him. Her mouth open and closed as if she were saying something to him. All he could hear was the crashing of waves, and a light buzz within his head.

His hand tightened around his sword. 

He could get her out of the way. 

Then find a way out of this hole in the ground with the sky bison in tow. He almost has everything he wanted. 

His Uncle’s voice echoed in his head, then his sister’s, then hers.

He opened his eyes…when did he shut them? Why was he leaning on his swords again?

Her eyes were too close. Her hands were going for his mask. 

Zuko slapped her hand away, earning an expression on her face that he had never seen before.

Concern.

“You might have gotten hurt when you crashed into the wall. I was going to check your injuries.”

He shook his head when his chest drummed. There was no time for that business. And this wasn’t the place to let expression of the enemy get to his head. Zuko left her there with Jet, now standing upright on his own, and she was healing his injuries. 

There was a flicker of something when she smiled at Jet. Zuko got the other side, and cut through the first two chains easily. The third, mostly underwater, with his blade growing dull, and his own head throbbing, took more effort. But he got it. 

More ceiling rocks fell. 

More water shot in, on the clear intent to fill this space. 

The wave crashed over his head. Zuko broke through the surface with a cough and a sputter. He lost his swords below. His feet were no longer on the floor. Even extending his body, not even toes could connect to the ground. The water level even to his chest for a second before more rocks fell, adding more waves into his battle with the unforgiving element. His black garb, cold and soaked, made him heavy to swim. It was growing quickly; the ceiling was growing closer. 

A tan hand entered his vision. 

Atop of the avatar’s sky bison, she waited for his hand. 

Spirits, kill him now. 

Zuko took the hand easily. 

He was pulled from the water and engulfed into an air bubble surrounding the sky bison’s body as the lake completed its own mission. The room was filled with murky black water. The red light of the alarm was gone. The only light that illuminated in the space was the blue water that she swirled around them. 

Zuko was struck by a thought, that shocked himself. 

She was beautiful.

“All we need to do is wait for more rocks to fall before we can escape.”

On the other side of her, was Jet. 

The smile was back on his face. 

Jet leaped up as quickly as Zuko moved forward. 

He caught Jet’s hands before they could reach around her neck. Jet’s fingertips brushed over the tanned skin. Zuko could feel fatigue in his body. His hands shook with the effort to keep them from her.

If she stopped waterbending, they were dead. 

If he was dead, he couldn’t capture the avatar…

He couldn’t do a lot things actually…

His head pounded. Everything was getting confusing. And he really just wanted to go home.

Zuko swiped at Jet’s legs, causing an unbalance. Grabbed his arms and swung him.

Zuko pushed him out of the bubble.

With the blue light, Jet continued to smile, then murky black swallowed him up. He was gone. 

Zuko just stared at the spot that Jet disappeared in.

He had done it, something that he never wanted to do. His eyes burned behind the stupid mask that somehow survived on his face. 

He killed someone. 

********************************************************************************

Katara didn’t know what to say. 

She knew what she didn’t do. 

She knew what she did.

She could have saved Jet. Lashed out a water whip to pull him back into the air bubble. But the skin across her neck throbbed. He tried to kill her. 

And she just let him disappear. 

Katara lost track of time as they waited in silence. In what felt like a millennium, rocks slowly crashed from the ceiling, providing a large enough opening for Appa. 

She saw the glimmer of sunlight. So close to the surface. She felt Appa pick up the pace, he was probably more excited than she was. They would be reunited. She was sure of it! Although, a nagging worry pulsed through her heart. What if…

They broke through the water, Katara cheered.

Then she screamed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Meant to get this out a lot sooner. Sorry and enjoy.

Steam  
Chapter 5  
Then she screamed.  
**************************************************  
The scream spilled through her lips as they were welcomed to the surface with a barrage of boulders. It then disappeared into the air when Appa bellowed loudly. She threw the water at the closest boulder; it fell away to crash below. 

Through squinted eyes, Katara lost count on how many soared towards them. But the assault was large and coming for them and blocked out the sun. As if they expected Aang instead of her, Appa, and the masked figure. Under her, Appa twisted and turned avoiding the closest of the Appa sized rocks. As the onslaught followed them, Katara could feel her grip on Appa’s dirty fur slipping with each dodge through the air. 

Her body twisted and turned, trying to follow the rhythm as Appa soared through the air. Her braid slapped against her back as Appa picked up speed. She missed the saddle. She missed not having to hold on for dear life. If she fell off…there was no telling what would meet her. She didn’t dare look around for the masked figure. 

Losing Jet was raw enough.

The guilty twinge in her chest was proof enough.

Even if she didn’t know who was under the mask. The person saved Appa’s life…her life…. they relied on each other for a short time. It was something. 

Sweat dewed on the palms of her hands. She could feel her fingers slipping as her body floated in the air. Katara could see lake below them. And the dark green figures on the sandy bench. As Appa righted, Katara landed with a grunt. Two hands covered hers. Heavy weight laid over her and pinned her down.

“What are you doing?!”

Either her words vanished, or the masked figure was ignoring her. 

“When we fall, aim for the lake.”

His masculine voice was distorted through the air rushing past her ears, yet familiar…but Katara could not place it. Then she registered his words…that wasn’t a part of her plan! She was going to stay on Appa and escape! Then find everyone else! 

“Fall? What do you-”

“Get Ready!”

“We should just stay on-”

The rest of her words went into silence when his fingers pulled at her hands exactly as Appa rolled upside down to avoid another boulder. Appa’s hair slipped through her fingers and Katara was airborne. She watched as Appa rolled upright and flew away…without her. 

There goes her plan! There goes everything! 

She couldn’t open her mouth to scream, or to curse at him. Wind howled around her. Her eyes slammed shut when she couldn’t keep them open anymore due to burning, wateriness that blurred her vision. 

Her eyes burst open as firmness held around her wrist, as the masked figure locked his fingers around both. Katara locked her hands around his wrist in return. She stared into the eyes of the mask. Hoping to portray being pissed off but…grateful that someone was there. Even if it was some weirdo in a mask. At least she wasn’t alone. She pulled hard on his wrists, drawing him closer.

“What’s the plan?”

She could hear the irritation in his voice, “You’re a waterbender, aren’t you? Catch us!”

The lake was closing in. 

Katara glared at him. As much as she could through the wind. Hopefully, it was a glare, and not just a pinched face, weird looking face. But considering he was wearing a mask; she didn’t feel too weird. 

“I haven’t tried waterbending in midair before! Have you?”

She blushed at the number of curses that past through his lips before he shouted, “Just try!”

“I can’t with you holding my wrists!”

He let go of her.

And she got the last word in. Water engulfed over her head, soaked into her clothes. Katara followed the bubbles to the surface. She spit water from out of her mouth. 

Katara smoothed her hair from her face. Then looked around. 

He was nowhere to be seen. 

His head injury.

Breaking Appa’s chains.

Keeping Jet from strangling her. 

Hold her onto Appa until the right moment.

Catching her in the air.

He must be tired, just like she was. He was tired, injured, and…maybe drowning…

Katara shifted in the water once more. Swimming in the waves from the crashing boulders, still going in the air. She couldn’t see the beach, couldn’t see anything but water and rocks. 

Her heart fell…

She couldn’t see Appa anymore. 

But the boulders kept coming….who were they aiming for? Most likely Aang…still. But Katara had hoped they would stop whenever they noticed Aang wasn’t fighting back. Katara trended in another circle. She sighed in relief when blue and white masked figure breeched the surface. She closed the small distance. “Are you okay?”

The masked figure coughed then nodded his head. “Yes.”

“Good,” smiled Katara. “I’m going to take us to shore. Hang onto my shoulders.”

Katara turned around. Hands gripped onto to her shoulders firmly. “Hold on.”

She waved her hands, shifting the water around them in a growing wave. Then propelled them forward as if they were surfing. With the height, they could see the beach now. And the welcoming committee that waited for them. The rocks stopped coming. Figures of green were all around the lake. No matter where they went…it was going to be another fight.

He shouted in her ear, “We are surrounded! Can you make the wave bigger?”

It wasn’t a large leap to know what he was thinking. If she made the wave bigger now, it would slow their speed. But the force of it would crash onto the beach. Perhaps, washing an opening for them to escape. Katara moved her hands faster, bringing the wave higher. They were in the middle of the rushing waters, on the arch and looked down. She pushed forward, just as boulders flew in their direction. She cocooned water around the masked figure. To him with her as they fell together.

They went down, just as they planned. The wave crashed upon the beach, Katara could hear the screams over the roaring waters. Green figures were taken by the current into the lake. Katara did not want to think too hard about it. Her feet landed on the soaked and empty sand. She glanced over her shoulder. The masked figure was right behind her, fighting an Earthbender that survived through their own welcoming committee. 

The masked figure took a rock into the stomach and landed backwards on the beach. Katara shifted, smacking the Earthbender with water into the lake. She held her hand down and helped him up. 

As she brought him to his feet, the ground shook around them.

Then twenty green figures surrounded them. Then attacked.

Katara shifted whipping water around them as a shield as rocks came at them. She wouldn’t be able to hold them off alone. But she wasn’t going to give up! Heat at her back made her gasp, and she looked over her shoulder to find the masked figure holding off his side with firebending. 

He was a firebender…she squashed the fear and rage she held at the fire nation down into her soul. She could…she could what? Attack him later? Kill him? 

Right now, they were busy to survive. Back to back, they fought. When she gathered water, he defended her. When he shifted into a different position, she defended him. They were doing a dance of fire and water. Steam erupted when their attacks were deflected into each other. 

The attacks paused when a voice carried in the air. Three figures rushed over on ground. Katara paused, breathing heavily. His back was warm on hers. 

One of the figures, she recognized. One she thought was a friend…and helped them at the party. Who tried to help them meet the King. Who implied to watch their backs because of the Dai Li…who Long Feng explained was that the Dai Li were rebelling against the throne…and could be a threat while they were in Ba Sing Se, because the avatar would have to keep the peace within the city. That the Dai Li would be tracking them to make sure they stayed were they were. He promised that he would help them and that he was there to protect the King. Every bit of information they received, every lead, every warning about danger. But here he was…at the creepy bad guy base….that had Appa…who was attacking them.  
“  
Katara,” greeted Long Feng with a nod. Then he turned his head to two green figures that stood behind him. “Report this to her. Tell her to be here quickly.” The two men rushed off, doing as they were told. Long Feng snapped his fingers. “Be at the ready.” 

Her eyes widened, recognizing the object in his hand at the same time as watching green figures follow his command.

“That’s Aang’s whistle for Appa!”

Long Feng looked the whistle, with a facade of confusion. Before smiling at her, his true intentions made present. He was the danger. He wasn’t their friend. He was a liar. He was rebelling against the King. He was the leader of the Dai Li!

“So it is.”

Then he blew on it. 

Raw fury made her tremble from his betrayal. He had promised to help them find Appa, had made them believe he was their friend. Katara wanted to scream at him, the throw all his accusations in the wind so everyone could hear. But everyone here was on Long Feng’s side, except for the masked figure against her back. The people who listened to him knew what he was. Knew that he captured Appa, been holding the sky bison’s whereabouts a secret, and fed them lies. Treated them like children…who could trust an adult for once in this shitty war….but it seemed like the pressure of change always fell back on their shoulders. 

She could only breath out one question, “Why, Long Feng?”

Long Feng scoffed. All bravado of authority figuratively arched across his shoulders. “Because there are bigger players than just you children in this war.”

He snapped his fingers.

Rock wall knocked her back away from the masked figure. She landed on her stomach on the sand. Her hands were pinned to her side when the ground folded across her back. Making her bounded…trapped….

She glanced over to masked figure. He was in the same position as she was. 

Then another voice announced throughout the air.

“I don’t appreciate being summoned like a commoner!” 

******************************************************************

Zuko knew this was the end for him as his sister approached them on the sand. His identity would be revealed. He would be branded even more of a traitor than he already was. He would be dead soon…at least then he wouldn’t have to watch the world burn.

With his hands pinned to his sides and a slab of ground holding down his back. He picked his fingertips at the ground bindings. Zuko watched as Azula stalked over to her first, knelt down and grabbed the waterbender by the hair. 

“You captured the avatar’s waterbender?” her words were unimpressed, laced with menacing undertones. Zuko was glad in this instance, her fury wasn’t directed to him…yet… He jarred when Azula slammed her face back into the sand and held her there. Azula snapped at Long Feng in fury…as if she wasn’t also attempting to dry drown someone. 

“What about sky bison I was promised? What about the avatar delivered to me like you had promised?! I don’t take disappointment lightly. In fact, I don’t ever recall having to be disappointed…it didn’t end well for those who did.”

“The sky bison should be here,” answered Long Feng. “I have the whistle.”

Zuko watched in silence as his sister made to snatch the whistle from his hands. Surprisingly, she missed when Long Feng pulled it away in time with a step back. The position flashed a moment of his childhood. When Zuko attempted to keep away a fire lily away from Azula…it was for their mother…when…. it was then that Zuko knew the other man was done for. 

Just like the lily Zuko had picked. The black ash had disappeared into the wind. And he…well, it wasn’t a happy memory. 

Blue fire jumped over Long Feng’s head, forcing the man to duck to avoid the flames. Then his sister snatched collar of Long Feng’s garb and pulled the man close to her face. “Give it to me!”

Her other hand abandoned the waterbender and held out empty for the whistle. 

The waterbender came up to the surface with a gasp and coughing up sand. 

Zuko was quite certain the other man had shit himself in the process of handing over the whistle. Her face was disgusted and pinched when it landed in her hand. She lazily tossed back; the small white bison whistle landed face up in the sand. Then she let go of Long Feng’s collar. 

“Try it again. If I can’t have the avatar…I want his sky bison while I take the city and the Dai Li,”

“That wasn’t our deal.”

Oh spirits, the Long Feng was either stupid or had a death wish. Zuko pinched his lips together, as if he could get the man to shut up entirely.

Surprisingly, again, his sister just smiled. “The deal has changed. If you want to keep breathing, stop talking and keep calling it.”  
And common sense finally kicked in for Long Feng. The man did not need to be told again. And did not argue anymore. He just snatched up the sandy whistle and blew it repeatedly. But with Azula being done with Long Feng, she turned back to the waterbender. 

“Leave her alone.”

The words left him quickly…when did that happen?

Azula’s head turned, staring at him. 

Her face covered in sand, but her eyes were full of concern. 

“The blue spirit?”

Then Azula stalked over to him, circled around like a tiger shark where he laid. “I’ve heard about you. There are rumors about who might be under the mask and what you have done to the fire nation. The avatar would have been dealt with a long time ago if not for your rescue. A little far from the spirit world, aren’t you?”

Zuko tried following her around. Not trusting her to be at his back because he was deemed a traitor, yet it was his sister. He wouldn’t hurt her…not too much at least. Would she feel the same way? Zuko wasn’t chancing it and clamped his mouth shut once more. His fingertips dug a little faster at his bindings 

Azula kicked sand over him. “If you’re not feeling chatty. I can go back to torturing the waterbender again.”

“My name is Katara.” 

Something pulled at his chest at her words. She was offering up a distraction from him. She was willing to undergo Azula’s methods to protect his identity. Someone that if she knew….

“No one asked you, peasant.”

Then a foot planted heavy on his shoulder. 

“Should I guess?”

Her fingertips drummed on the mask.

“I’ve heard about your fighting skills…they seem familiar to the fire nation…”

This was it. 

“There’s no proof that you are a bender though.”

“Well…should have been here sooner.”

Azula’s face entered his vision. 

Then his mask was removed.

He heard a gasp. He avoid looking over there. Even if the pain in his chest wanted him too. 

It wasn’t very often that Zuko got the element of surprise on Azula. Her expression was almost worth the reveal…then her foot kicked into his jaw. White spots blinked before his eyes. The warm sand felt nice on his forehead. Everything on the right side of his face was numb and throbbing at the same time. But the force of her kick made him shift… and broke through his ground bindings…he could make a run for it at the right moment.

Her face was set in a snarl, then blended into a smile when a shadow casted over them. A loud bellow followed with the shadow. The sky bison returned. “You can wait here Zuzu. After I get the beast…I’ll deal with you.”

“Not if I deal with you first.”

Again, not one of his better comebacks. Through the bellow from the sky bison, and the barking orders of his sister to the Earthbenders, he could her yells. Begging for the sky bison to turn away. To go find the avatar. Her yelling was falling on deaf ears. 

Boulders flew at the beast.

Then stone towers swirled around in the air, trying to catch it.

His sister propelled with fire into the sky. Using the towers to hop into the air.

A fire blast caught the sky bison from the above. Sending it to plummet to the sand.

The Dai Li surrounded it.

If his sister captured it. It would be the end. The pure selfishness inside of himself thought about his own plan, using the bison to get the avatar. But his Uncle’s words echoed louder. The rhythm of those words matched the pounding of his heart. 

Zuko burst out of his ground bindings. He refused to look at her as he firebended the binding from her. He didn’t dare look back to see what she was doing. Only hoping that she wasn’t going to attack him with his back turned. Zuko pounced, sending a stream of flames to the closest Dai Li agent. His onslaught continued. 

He weaved, dodged, blasted with using the confusing rage in the pit of his stomach. Burning into the heart of his soul. His own conflicts burned up with while his Uncle’s words lit embers into his movements. In his battle of right versus wrong. Of what he should do, of what he wanted to do, and of what needed to be done. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw water whipping on other member of the Dai Li. 

Breathing heavily, Zuko counted only four Dai Lee agents, Long Feng, and his sister stood between him and the sky bison. He could do it. Despite the flushness, and the tiredness that pulsed through his body. 

“What are you doing, Zuzu?”

Honesty slipped from him. “I don’t know.”

“You can’t fight all us. You look dead on your feet.”

He didn’t dare look for her. He didn’t count her in this fight. The Dai Li agents were ready to take him down. Ready to finish this fight. If he attacked, he would done for. Instead he looked past them, and into the eyes of the sky bison behind them. 

“Sorry.”

He sent a blast of fire overhead, arching over the people and towards the sky bison. He heard the deafening roar before the sky bison soared into the air in fear. It was free though. 

Azula screeched. He could hear his Uncle’s voice through it. It was most likely in his head. Zuko smirked to himself that his Uncle finally drove him insane. Waterwhips flew by him to keep rocks at bay. The solidness climbed up his feet, coiled around him like a nasty serpent. He felt sick as it tightened around him, crushed against his chest, before swallowed him in darkness. 

Maybe he was truly dying. 

Right now, he was too tired to care.


End file.
